Metalsmithing Class, Part X

Last night was our next to last metalsmithing class at the 92nd Street Y. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone! I remember that when I first started this class in February, I was pretty anxious about using tools I'd never used before like a blow torch, jeweler's saw and drill. Now I feel like an old expert with them. Well, not quite, but I at least feel comfortable using them. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of soldering, but I think I'll get that with practice. My teacher noted that my bezel wasn't soldered 100 percent; there was still a small gap in the piece, so I attempted to solder that section. However, it just wasn't happening. The solder pieces kept moving or just weren't melting. Finally, the teacher had to help out and explained that I wasn't heating the entire piece as I was supposed to. She assisted me and I think we finally got this thing. My poor pendant was getting pretty burned, though. I mean, it went under the fire about five times. I didn't have time to thoroughly submerge it in the pickle solution (which cleans the metal) so it was still smoldering as I left the class and I could smell the burnt metal all the way home. Yuck. I'll submerge it first thing next week so it'll have time to be cleaned. Then I'll add the stone and hopefully, it'll be finished. I'd also planned to solder a jumpring but am not sure that I'll have the time. That's OK, because I can either do that in my more advanced class which begins on May 22 or just make a jumpring with a cold connection. Meantime, I've been working on a pair of funky copper abstract earrings in class. They're going to look really cool and I'm amazed by how skilled I've gotten at sawing and filing. They have an intricate design in the center which required me to saw out small, squiggly lines, but it wasn't so hard to do. I remember when I was first making my silver ring that it was SO hard for me to even saw a straight line. Next week we're supposed to do a "show and tell" of our projects. My last two probably won't be completely finished, but it seems like no one else's is either -- and that makes me feel a lot better. But I'm looking forward to making more things during the summer semester.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To read about my travel adventures, head to Naomi The Traveler.

HubPages Article: How To Use A Jeweler's Saw

Check out my latest article on Hubpages: It's a tutorial that tells you how to use a jeweler's saw. This skill is for the more advanced jeweler, as you also have to have some basic drilling skills. But you can learn them in tandem, as I did. I'll soon have tutorials on drilling and filing -- not the most exciting topics, but absolutely necessary in the world of jewelry making. Meantime, to purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Mixed Metal Copper And Silver Jewelry Pieces

Now that I'm taking a metalsmithing class, I have so many more ideas for pieces. Being able to saw and drill jewelry is a useful skill and gives you so much more room for creativity. That said, I'm now making a series of mixed metal jewelry pieces made of copper and silver.

One is this copper heart that's wire wrapped with silver. I decided to combine my skills and created an industrial looking heart that hangs from a silver chain. That chain is handmade, too, by the way, and took a million years to make. Sawing the heart was a challenge because you have to get that top curve and the indentation, but I like how it came out:

The next piece I made consists of a small silver square hanging over a larger copper square. I turned each on an angle to make them look like diamonds and hammered each to give them texture. This chain is also handmade. One thing to note: silver is harder than copper so it takes longer to saw. It also takes much more force.

This piece is very abstract, but I love the combo of the metals. I plan to get some brass sheets, too, so I can play around with those.

To purchase these pieces or my other jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

New Jewelry Making Skills

I had my second metalsmithing class tonight. It went well, though the instructor goes at warp speed and the other students aren't very friendly. But I did learn some new jewelry making skills!

First, I got to use a drill so I could put holes in my ring design. I was ervous about using a tool that could, well, put a hole in me, but it went smoothly and there were no injuries.

Next, I had to use a jeweler's saw to cut out my ring and the interior design. It took me a few tries (and a few broken blades) to get the hang of it, but once I did, it was fun -- very relaxing.

We'll be soldering our rings in the next class (and I'll get to use mor scary tools), but in the meantime, I now know how to saw shapes out of metal. This is really cool because I can now make pendants and charms and other metal elements. I love working with wire, but I'd like to expand my repertoire. So expect to see some cool copper cut-outs sometime soon!

To see or purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.